Strategies and Actions for Attracting and Hiring Suitable Entry-Level Employees
In the world of professional sports, there is a significant amount of time, attention, and money invested in annual proceedings known as entry-level drafts. These events take place over a concentrated period of time, usually one or two days, during which teams in the respective professional leagues select amateur players to become future members of their organizations; these choices (called picks) are based on numerous scouting reports.
While the process might sound straightforward in theory, it is essentially a calculated risk for each of these teams; they are basing their player selections and to some extent their future success on amateur-level playing histories plus projections on how the individuals will perform at the professional level. Sometimes the choices work out; sometimes not.
A parallel scenario exists in the world of business, specifically when companies are hiring entry-level employees. In the vast majority of these cases, organizations must rely on unrelated/non-related background information (akin to an amateur-level playing history) to determine whether to bring new people on board (i.e.: to join the professional ranks).
In effect, there is always some degree of risk that a new employee might not prove to be the right choice after a brief period of time with a company; however, this is magnified in the case of a first-job hiring. Their lack of experience and limited knowledge must be given time to develop, often before any contributions are clearly observable and after an allocation of resources to their training. Consequently, the cost of making bad decisions when hiring entry-level employees can be significant. (https://www.winterstaffing.com/a-bad-hire-can-be-very-costly/)
To the contrary, making good first-job hiring decisions, that is finding skilled newcomers, can offer several benefits to an organization, consisting of but not necessarily limited to:
- Innovative ideas
- A refreshing energy
- Process improvements
- Mentoring opportunities
- A will to accept challenges
- Comfort with latest technology
Fortunately, there are numerous strategies/steps that employers can implement as they strive to identify capable and qualified first-job candidates and assess their potential for becoming long-term contributors before hiring decisions are made. These would include:
- Make the entire company, not only the job, attractive to new grads
- For comparative purposes, have a clear image of the ideal candidate
- Use job postings tailored to young adults – downplay work experience
- Place an emphasis on experiences outside of education, part-time jobs
- Focus interview questions on transferable skills versus prior experience
- Assess candidate potential from the viewpoint of long-term career goals
- Develop new entry-level talent sources, e.g. social media, online groups
- Attend and host networking events: job fairs, career nights, open houses
- Measure successes of previous entry-level hires to refine the hiring process
- Present a balanced outlook – discuss the benefits and challenges of the work
Understandably, many of the above approaches might be rather unfamiliar to companies that may want to revisit their hiring practices relative to entry-level employees or those who have experienced less-than-acceptable results with the recruitment and retention of their first-job candidates. Under these circumstances, it might be advisable to consult a professional recruitment agency with considerable proficiency in hiring these individuals; one agency of particular note would be Winters Technical Staffing, a leading recruiter in Toronto and the surrounding area for more than 45 years.
Supporting Companies in the Hiring of Entry-Level Employees for Over 40 Years
As noted above, the process applied in the selection and hiring of entry-level employees can mean the difference between finding a valuable long-term contributor and making a costly mistake for the organization. The former would clearly be the preferred/ideal type of employee, and it is here that the recruiting services of Winters Technical Staffing can prove to be highly beneficial to an employer.
For over 40 years, the consultants from Winters Technical Staffing have been successful in supporting client organizations with the recruitment and hiring of high-potential entry-level employees; companies can capitalize on the extensive experience and expertise of these professionals to create targeted recruiting strategies that attract talented first-job candidates and aid in making informed and confident hiring decisions.
A cross-section of the comprehensive services available from Winters Technical Staffing would include developing and/or implementing the following:
- Job postings
- Job descriptions
- Social media advertising
- Social media/online searches
- Interview guides and questions
- Candidate screening, interviews
- Verification of educational history
- Reference and background checks
For more information on the full scope of services provided by the recruitment specialists from Winters Technical Staffing, please go to https://www.winterstaffing.com/services/
Contact Winters Today
Ensure that your overall recruiting strategy includes the appropriate focus on attracting, assessing, and hiring entry-level employees who offer the highest potential for long-term commitment and contribution. Call the knowledgeable recruitment specialists at Winters Technical Staffing at 416-495-7422 today or contact us to schedule a no-obligation consultation on how we can help refine and support your corporate recruiting efforts.
